NL Central

NL West

Now Commenting On:

Peralta linked to Miami clinic but denies PED use

Email

Print

Passan on breaking Braun story 4:54

MLB Network speaks with Jeff Passan about his report that listed Ryan Braun on the records of the Biogenesis Clinic in South Florida

By Zack Meisel

Tigers shortstop Jhonny Peralta is reportedly listed in the records of the Biogenesis clinic under investigation by Major League Baseball for allegedly providing players with performance-enhancing drugs.

According to an SI.com report published Wednesday, Peralta does not appear to be directly tied to any banned substances in the records, similar to Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun, Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli and Orioles infielder Danny Valencia, a trio of Major Leaguers whose names surfaced in a Yahoo! Sports report on Tuesday.

Peralta is the 12th player connected to Anthony Bosch, the director of the south Florida wellness clinic. He is represented by the ACES agency, which also represents Nationals southpaw Gio Gonzalez, Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz, Mariners catcher Jesus Montero and Blue Jays outfielder Melky Cabrera, four players also cited in Bosch's records.

Barry Boss, an attorney for Peralta, released a statement to Sports Illustrated on behalf of the 30-year-old. In it, he says, "I have never used performance-enhancing drugs. Period. Anybody who says otherwise is lying."

The Tigers issued the following statement on Wednesday night:

"The Detroit Tigers fully support Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. We are aware of this report, however since this matter is currently part of an investigation by Major League Baseball, the Club is not at liberty to comment."

The Miami New Times originally broke the story last week, linking a group of players, including Gonzalez, Cruz, Cabrera, Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, A's pitcher Bartolo Colon and Padres catcher Yasmani Grandal, to the Biogenesis clinic.

On Tuesday night, MLB issued a statement, saying, "We have an active ongoing investigation in Florida. Until that is completed, we can't comment on any of the details or information that has surfaced."

Peralta batted .239 with 13 homers and 63 RBIs during the 2012 campaign, his third season in Detroit. A year earlier, he earned his way onto the American League All-Star team and hit .299 with 21 homers and 86 RBIs.

At a luncheon with media and the Detroit Sports Broadcasting Association on Tuesday, Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said Peralta had dropped weight during the offseason in an effort to increase his range on defense.

"People forget that this perfect player doesn't exist very often," Dombrowski said. "They all have their pluses and minuses. Jhonny does a really solid job for us and we like him."

Zack Meisel is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @zackmeisel. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.